In a rare final between two qualifiers, Irishman Arthur Gaskin clinched the first PSA World Tour title of his career when he beat Pakistan’s Syed Ali Shah Bokhari in the climax of the QSF PSA Challenger, the PSA Challenger 5 event at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.
The Dublin-born 27-year-old bravely battled through six matches in three days to earn his maiden tour title triumph – making his main breakthrough in the semi-finals with a straight games defeat of Ammar Al-Tamimi, the top seed from Kuwait ranked more than 100 places higher.
By contrast, Bokhari beat fellow qualifiers in the two rounds leading to the final. The 16-year-old from Lahore recorded his first appearance in a Tour final after overcoming Kuwaiti Mohammed Yaquop Hajeyah in the semis.
But Gaskin, a former world No80 currently ranked 216 in the world, was too strong for the Pakistani teenager, recovering from a game down to win 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9 in 71 minutes.
“Job done!!” tweeted the new champion (pictured with Bokhari) later. “Won the final v s bukhari of Pakistan 8-11 11-7 12-10 11-9 in 71 mins! Happy days, nice flight bk to uk in 4 hours!”
Final:
[Q] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt [Q] Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9 (71m)
Semi-finals:
[Q] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt [1] Ammar Al-Tamimi (KUW) 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 (37m)
[Q] Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) bt [Q] Mohammed Yaquop Hajeyah (KUW) 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (51m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Ammar Al-Tamimi (KUW) bt Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (41m)
[Q] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (PAK) 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6 (65m)
[Q] Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) bt [Q] Fallah Mohammed (KUW) 9-11, 11-7, 18-16, 11-8 (92m)
[Q] Mohammed Yaquop Hajeyah (KUW) bt [2] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8 (38m)
1st round:
[1] Ammar Al-Tamimi (KUW) bt Zeyad Tareq Alowaesh (KUW) 11-8, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5 (48m)
Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) bt Ahmed Hawas (EGY) 11-7, 11-9, 15-13 (44m)
Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (PAK) bt Tarek Salah Shehata (EGY) 11-13, 11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-2 (74m)
[Q] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt [3] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 12-14, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 (84m)
[Q] Fallah Mohammed (KUW) bt [4] Alex Phillips (ENG) 5-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (34m)
[Q] Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 12-14, 11-7, 11-2, 5-11, 11-6 (40m)
[Q] Mohammed Yaquop Hajeyah (KUW) bt Matias Tuomi (FIN) 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
[2] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) 5-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 (27m)
Qualifying finals:
Fallah Mohammed (KUW) bt Barrak Al-Mattar (KUW) 11-3, 12-10, 11-3 (25m)
Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) bt James Simpson (ENG) 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (35m)
Mohammed Yaquop Hajeyah (KUW) bt Tarek Salah Shehata (EGY) 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (38m)
Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt Phillip John Bull (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (26m)
1st qualifying round:
Fallah Mohammed (KUW) bt Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT) 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 (20m)
Barrak Al-Mattar (KUW) bt Abdulwahab Al-Ishaq (QAT) 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (12m)
Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) bt Saoud Al Sulaiti (QAT) 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (25m)
James Simpson (ENG) bt Abdul Rahman Al-Malki (QAT) 12-10, 11-7, 3-11, 11-6 (31m)
Mohammed Yaquop Hajeyah (KUW) bt Abdulla Al-Mass (QAT) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5 (17m)
Tarek Salah Shehata (EGY) bt Faisal Al-Marri (QAT) 11-5, 11-7, 11-1 (13m)
Phillip John Bull (ENG) bt Omar Abdullah Ahmed (QAT) w/o
Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt Ahmed Mohammed Al Tamimi (QAT) 11-1, 11-7, 11-3 (19m)
